During Wednesday's early morning hours, a cold front blew through the city, moving out the muggy heat and replacing it with a distinct chill.

As the sun came up over Farris Stadium, a steady breeze whipped across the turf, forcing the assembled media to stuff hands in pockets, zip up jackets and pull sweatshirt hoods over ears.

In between the white lines, however, a certain fire still burned for the UTSA Roadrunners on the first day of spring practice. The heat generated by a surprising 8-4 season was still turned on high.

Wearing a blue ball cap with a Conference USA logo on the back, coach Larry Coker marched purposefully from station to station.

Wide receiver Kenny Bias won a battle, caught a long pass and wagged a finger at a trailing defender.

Later, cornerback Bennett Okotcha, the younger brother of running back Evans Okotcha, went up high to make a nice play, breaking up a pass on a fade route. The players subsequently hit the turf hard, popped up and started jawing playfully, with heads bobbing.

“It was a good day today,” Coker said later. “Guys practiced fast. Had a lot of fun. I liked what I saw today.”

In some ways, the first day of the spring was a lot like the last day of the 2012 season.

Enthusiasm reigned.

On the podium in the interview room after a 38-31 victory over Texas State last November, UTSA centerNate Leonard talked with conviction about how the Roadrunners had raised the bar on expectations.

“This program is not going to be built on the backs of people who want mediocrity,” he said then. “(Finishing) 8-4 is great. But I can guarantee you that 8-4 is not going to be good enough for this team next year.”

Of course, a lot has changed since Leonard made that statement.

In December, the dynamics of UTSA's defense changed dramatically with the loss of cornerback Erik Brown, booted from the team for violating team rules.

In February, the pendulum swung again when the coaches signed a fleet of new defensive backs to help fill the void.

Perhaps most significantly, the C-USA schedule was unveiled, mapping out a tough task that looms in Year 3 of the Roadrunners' program.

So as reporters shivered on the side of the field Wednesday morning, I wondered whether the outspoken Mr. Leonard remained as upbeat as he was last November.

Leonard shrugged off the loss of Brown and three other cornerbacks, all broomed from the squad.

“I'm optimistic,” he said. “We got guys coming in here who want to be a part of this program and want to work hard to fill that void, and I have faith and confidence in them, because these coaches recruited them.

“I can't dwell on guys that are gone. I got to help the guys that are coming in and the guys that are here.”

Sitting on a metal bench and still red-faced from the first of 15 workouts this spring, Leonard reaffirmed that the Roadrunners don't intend to lose ground on what they gained last year.

He said eight will not be enough.

“We want to see improvement,” Leonard said. “These coaches aren't out here busting us in the spring to see us go 8-4 again. They're busting us so we can go 12-0, you know, 11-1, whatever we need to do to improve ourselves as a team. That's what we're trying to do.”

As mentioned, even with the arrival of cool weather, emotions were still ablaze at Farris.